COVID-19: CEO of 3M defends his company after Trump's 'absurd' remarks

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the CEO of 3M  on April 3 defended his company and claimed that it was doing all it could to boost production. According to reports, CEO Mike Roman also said that US Presidents claims that 3M was not doing all it could was ‘absurd’ and that nothing could be farther from the truth.

Company asked to stop exporting masks

According to reports, on April 2, Donald Trump issued an order under the Defence Production Act act under the jurisdiction provided by the act told  Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to use all the available means provided by the act to acquire from 3M Company, any number of N-95 respirators that he determines to be appropriate.

As per reports, in applying Defence Production Act, which is a Korean-War era act, claimed that there would be serious humanitarian implications if they stopped exporting N-95 masks to Canada and Latin American countries. Rowan said that ceasing export of respirators by the company would force other countries to retaliate and do the same and therefore by invoking the act, the number of respirators available to the US may decrease.

Read: Politics, Bidding War, Compromised Safety: Life Amid Trump Govt's COVID-19 Fight

Read: Donald Trump Recommends Americans Wear Face Masks, But Says He Won't

According to reports, 3M that is based in St. Paul in Minnesota has increased its production capacity to 100 million masks a month globally.

Trump refuses to wear a mask

Amid the unprecedented outbreak of coronavirus as the US set a new record of deaths, the White House advised all Americans to use protective gear against the fatal COVID-19 in the new mask guidelines. The pandemic has been sweeping across the globe and as already infected more than one million people in 204 countries, but US President Donald Trump not only called the advice to 330 million US citizens to wear non-surgical masks as “voluntary thing” but also said, “I’m choosing not to do it”.

(Image Credit Pixabay)

Read: Is Trump America's Biggest COVID-19 Response Challenge? Here's Why States Scramble For Aid

Read: COVID-19: Donald Trump 'choosing Not To' Wear A Mask Against White House's Advice